


The Case of the Injured Investigator

by waitingtillmarriage



Category: Perry Mason (TV 1957)
Genre: Angst, Episode: s09e06 The Case of the Carefree Coronary, Established Relationship, Hamilton is a friend, I'm not sorry I'm obsessed with this show now, M/M, some because Paul is in the hospital, some because it's the 60s and they're gay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-06
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-17 19:47:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29231034
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/waitingtillmarriage/pseuds/waitingtillmarriage
Summary: Paul Drake is poisoned and left unconscious in the hospital. While they wait for him to wake up, Della and Perry both think back over Perry and Paul's relationship.Set during the episode of “The Case of the Carefree Coronary”.
Relationships: Paul Drake/Perry Mason
Comments: 2
Kudos: 3





	The Case of the Injured Investigator

**Author's Note:**

> Overuse of carriage returns? Check. Consistent POV? Never heard of her. 
> 
> I absolutely adore Perry Mason and have been watching the entire series from episode 1 on. Full confession: I haven't actually been able to see The Carefree Coronary, I've only read about it. However, this is already supposed to be an alternate take on the events of the episode, so who cares about canon? 
> 
> I also really wanted to see Hamilton Burger acting like a friend to Perry and Paul, and not just as an antagonist. (Hamilton needs more love)
> 
> This was inspired by two stories: 
> 
> The Case of the Dying Detective by BlueZaca  
> Tomorrow Always Comes by Lucky_Ladybug (on ff.net)

Della bursts into the courtroom and practically runs to Perry's side. Ordinarily she would never dream of making a scene like this, but given the circumstances…  Perry turns to look at her and she can't hold it in any longer. 

_ "Paul's had a heart attack! He's dying!"  _ With that declaration, Della collapses against Perry, finally breaking down in tears. 

Perry is frozen, not fully processing what Della has just said. As he wraps his arms around her, he glances over at Hamilton. The district attorney appears as horrified as Perry is beginning to feel.  Perry knows he speaks, asks for a recess and is given two hours, but nothing feels real. Outwardly, he appears calm and put together, but inwardly he is falling to pieces. 

Hamilton catches up to the two of them as they leave the courtroom.  "Perry, I-" Hamilton stops, at a loss for words for once. He realizes there is no point in wasting time with empty words. "Go out the back way, the press are going to be clamoring for answers and will only slow you down." 

"Thank you, Hamilton," Perry says, pulling himself back to reality. 

Hamilton nods and turns to walk the opposite direction from where Perry and Della will be heading. 

Perry focuses on keeping himself together and he and Della get to the car. Della is in no shape to drive and Perry can't risk falling to pieces before he can reach Paul. He usually hates the numb feeling that takes over during tragedy, but in this moment Perry is thankful. 

"Perry, he's going to be alright," Della speaks up when they are halfway to the hospital. "He's too stubborn to die like this." 

Perry tries to smile at that but doesn't quite succeed. The rest of the drive is silent, both of them too consumed with stress to say anything. 

Then they finally get to the hospital, get to Paul's room, get to the doctor--  


Poison. Paul was poisoned. It wasn't a heart attack. Of course it wasn't, Paul had been undercover investigating a string of so-called heart attacks. And now--

"Perry," Della says gently, resting her hand on his arm and snapping him back to reality.  He doesn't know when the doctor walked away, leaving them alone in the hallway. 

"Did he say we can go in?" Perry asks, his brain still in a fog. He knows nothing will be right until he sees Paul, can touch him. 

"Yes. But he warned that Paul is hooked up to a lot of equipment right now, so it may not be pleasant." 

Perry looks down at Della, sees her red eyes from crying and knows he doesn't look much better. But he needs to see him, needs--

Della understands. She has gotten pretty good at reading Perry's mind. She takes his hand, squeezing for both his sake and her own, and leads them through the door into Paul's room. 

Despite the warning the doctor had given, it is still horrible seeing Paul hooked up to the machines. He is still unconscious, and Della tells herself he looks asleep, he's just asleep.  Perry stumbles on his way to the chair by Paul's side, his hand sliding out of Della's. As he sinks into the chair, he grabs Paul's hand, careful not to disturb any wires. 

"You reckless fool," Perry starts saying quietly. He's not even fully aware of what he's saying, he just needs to say something, anything. "You're interrupting my work, you know. I'm not going to be able to focus the rest of the day. I know we've talked about how time consuming our jobs are, but this was not the way to get me away to spend time with you." 

Della sinks into the other chair, staring at one of her best friends lying in a hospital bed while her other best friend whispers nonsense to fill the silence. A room with Paul should never be this quiet. 

Perry raises Paul's hand to his lips and kisses it. "You're not allowed to leave me yet. Not like this." 

Della feels her heart breaking, knows it's so much worse for Perry. If Paul dies--

She doesn't want to finish that thought, can't imagine a world without Paul Drake in it.  But she knows if he does, she is losing her best friend. But Perry? Perry would lose his best friend and the love of his life.

As she sits and watches Perry whisper to his love, Della remembers when she had discovered Perry and Paul were in a relationship. 

* * *

The three of them had been working late in the office and Perry had finally told Della she should head home to get some sleep. She made it all the way to the lobby before she realized her coat was still sitting in Perry's office. She took a glance out the window and saw dark clouds rolling through, and she knew it would be too cold for her to go out without the coat.  Letting out a tired sigh, Della turned and walked back to the elevator to go back up to the office. When she got back up, the door to the office was closed, but she didn't hesitate to push it open. 

Instantly, she saw Perry and Paul caught in an intimate embrace. At the sound of the door opening, they pulled apart quickly and turned to look at her in shock. 

She had never seen Perry look so frightened. It was a subtle expression, but Della had been working with him for long enough to read him easily. Paul was holding himself in a defensive position, as if daring her to say something. But as with Perry, she knew him well enough to see the fear in his eyes.  Della felt a pang of sadness in her chest as she realized why they looked so scared, even though it was only her. She realized how much they likely had to hide to avoid the prejudice they would face for going steady in public. 

Della very specifically relaxed her body and leaned against the door frame. She schooled her expression from one of surprise to amusement.  "Well, I suppose this means I don't need to have a talk with you two about getting your acts together and confessing your feelings to one another," she commented casually. She was focusing very hard to convey acceptance, not judgement. 

She noticed both men visibly relax, shoulders slumping in relief. 

"You knew?" Paul asked in surprise. 

"I'm very observant, you know that," Della answered with a smile. 

"I've always said she could give you a run for your money," Perry teased. 

"I didn't mean to interrupt, I just forgot my coat and it looks like a storm is rolling in," Della explained, nodding to the coat draped over the back of a chair. 

Perry retrieved the coat and walked over to hand it to her. She reached out to take it, but Perry didn't let go immediately. He looked conflicted, many emotions crossing his face.  "Della, I-" 

"Don't worry, I'm not interested in sharing any information about your personal lives with anyone," she said gently, stopping him from having to say anything. 

Perry looked relieved, but still a little sad, as he nodded. He released the coat and took a step back.  "In that case, I'll see you in the morning, Miss Street." 

She smiled softly. "That you will, Mr. Mason. Goodnight, Paul." 

"Goodnight, beautiful." 

With that, Della carefully closed the door behind and set out on her way home. 

* * *

Della's getting a drink of water, leaving Perry alone with Paul, when she runs into Hamilton Burger. He's standing at the nurses station waiting for someone to help him. 

"Hamilton," Della calls as she walks toward him. 

He turns and looks relieved to see her. "Della! I was just waiting to ask about an update on Paul. I already heard it was poison, Andy and Tragg are already investigating or they'd be here too," he says in a rush. 

Della places a hand gently on his arm to calm him. "Paul's… Well, he's not great, but he hasn't gotten worse since we got here. Perry's in with him right now. Do you want to see him?" 

Hamilton looks surprised. "Would Mr. Drake really appreciate me coming to visit him?" 

Della recognizes his attempt at a teasing tone, but it is overwhelmed by the worry in his eyes. 

"I know that you and Paul may not always get along, but he does have a great amount of respect for you, despite what he may say." Slipping her arm into his, Della starts leading Hamilton back towards the room. "I think he would be happy to hear that you visited." 

Hamilton doesn't say anything as they walk back. Della carefully knocks at the door, pausing a few moments before opening the door to give Perry a chance to compose himself. As she walks in with Hamilton, she notes that Perry is no longer holding Paul's hand. 

"Look who I bumped into," Della says with as much of a smile as she can muster at the moment. 

Perry looks a little surprised to see Hamilton, but nods his head in greeting. "Nice to see you, Mr. Burger." 

"Perry, I already spoke to Lt. Tragg. He and Andy were heading over to start gathering evidence. They're both concerned about him. So was I," Hamilton adds, though he supposes his presence at the hospital already conveyed that. 

"Thank you," Perry nods in acknowledgement. He glances at his watch and frowns. "We're due back in court soon." 

"I know. I can drive you back if you'd like," Hamilton offers. 

Perry shakes his head as he stands. "No, I'm alright to drive myself. That way…" 

Della finishes his thought when he trails off. "That way you can come right back as soon as possible." 

The corners of Perry's mouth lift slightly, trying to smile. 

"I'll walk out with you. Do you need a moment?" Hamilton asks, pulling his eyes away from Paul and back to Perry. 

"No, that's alright," Perry responds. His hand twitches toward Paul, as if he wants to reach out to him again. Then he clears his throat and turns back to Hamilton. "We'd best be getting back." 

They both nod their goodbyes to Della and exit the room, leaving her alone with Paul. 

"As much as I want you awake, I think Perry will kill us both if he's not here when you wake up," she tells Paul. 

She hates the silence of the room. But she uses this time to think back on conversations she had with Perry and Paul about their relationship. 

* * *

It was late as Perry and Della sat in the office. Gertie had left already and they were waiting for Paul to return with his report before they could continue working. Della made them both cups of coffee, knowing they would be there for a while longer despite how late it already was. Perry smiled in thanks and took a sip.  Della settled into the chair across from him and looked at him carefully. Once Perry noticed her gaze, he raised an eyebrow at her. 

Della decided the best option was to be direct. "How long have you known?" she asked carefully. 

Perry offered a wry smile. "You mean how long have I known I'm only interested in men?" 

Della nodded, not bothering to look embarrassed. 

"I always knew I was different from my classmates. I wasn't interested in chasing girls, wasn't obsessing over dates. But I didn't want to admit what it was. During the war, no one looked twice at where you went for comfort and a distraction. And then going into law school, I made the excuse that I was too busy, too interested in the work than a relationship. But that excuse only goes so far when you start being distracted by your attractive male classmate." 

Della chuckled and Perry smiled softly back at her. 

"After that, I admitted it to myself, but didn't share that information with anyone else. Unfortunately, that's not the type of information you want to share if you're looking to become a respected defense attorney." He gave a sad smile. 

"And Paul? When did that happen?" Della prompted. 

"I knew when I met him I was attracted to him. It's not a secret he's an attractive man," Perry said with a playful smile, earning a laugh from Della. "And then as we worked together and became friends, I realized that I had developed feelings for him that went deeper than just attraction and friendship. But I knew how many women he took out, and it wasn't the type of thing to mention anyway. And then one night, a few years ago now, we were working late, leaning over papers side by side, and I looked up to see him staring at me intently. I don't know what he saw in my face, but he smiled softly and kissed me. We've been together ever since." 

"You aren't bothered by Paul going out on dates so often?" 

"It was something we talked about thoroughly. He already had a reputation, and it would bring up questions if he suddenly stopped. It's an ongoing conversation," Perry admitted with a shrug. 

Della reached across the table and rested her hand on Perry's. "I'm very happy for the two of you. I'm only sorry that you can't be public about this." 

Perry turned his hand to hold hers and smiled. "It's nice having someone else to share it with, now." 

At that moment, Paul gave his signature knock and opened the door into the office. He smiled at the two of them and Della was pleased to see no jealousy in his eyes when he saw their joined hand. "Hi, beautiful." 

"Hi, Paul," Della greeted warmly, squeezing Perry's hand once before pulling her hand away. They still had work to do.  


Della had a similar conversation with Paul only a week after she spoke to Perry.  They were camped out in the office, waiting for Perry to call from whatever small town he was in this time. They had already sent Gertie home, so it was just the two of them eating dinner. 

"Della, you've had a look in your eye for the last 10 minutes, why don't you just go ahead and ask me whatever it is that's on your mind," Paul said at last, his voice warm to take the edge off his words. 

"How did you know?" she finally asked. 

"What, that I was gay?" Paul asked bluntly, then grinned. "Oh, I think I've always known. Or at least knew I wasn't nearly as interested in the girls as they were of me. But, I also knew it wasn't exactly an acceptable thing publicly, so I leaned into the personality everyone assumed I had." 

"So what about all of those girls you take out and flirt with?" she asked. 

Paul gave a wry smile. "I can appreciate an attractive woman when I see one, even if I'm not attracted to her. So I flirt, I take them out, make sure they have a good time out, and then make it clear I'm not going any further. Sometimes they get disappointed, but they are never hurt by it. And I get to maintain my reputation as a ladies man." 

"And Perry? How did that start?" 

Paul's face took on a soft smile. "I knew he was attractive when we met, but I wasn't attracted to him. Not yet, at least. That came later, after we'd been working together for a while and started to be friends. That's when it hit me. I kept looking for hints that he might feel similar, or at least not throw me out if he found out. Took me longer than I care to admit to figure it out." 

"Maybe you're not as good a detective as you think," Della teased with a smirk. 

Paul frowned at her, but she could see the amusement in his eyes. He finally smiled at her before continuing. "Anyway, one night we're working on a case real late, sitting next to each other, and I just started looking at him. Really looking. Wondering if I was willing to take the risk even if I hadn't seen any evidence he might feel the same way. But then he looked up at me and I saw something in his eyes. Couldn't tell you what it was, but I knew instinctively that he wouldn't be throwing me out. So I kissed him," Paul finished, a soft smile on his face. 

"And you've been together ever since," Della surmised with a smile. 

"That we have." 

At that moment, the phone rang, a nice punctuation mark to their conversation. 

* * *

The moment the real guilty party is taken into custody and Perry's client acquitted, Perry feels a sense of relief. Relief that the murderer has been caught, relief his client wouldn't be falsely charged. But mostly relief that it was over, Paul would be safe, and Perry can go back to the hospital to be with him. 

As soon as the verdict is given, Hamilton is at Perry's side. "Perry, I want to go back to the hospital with you, but…" 

"But you've got some work to get started on," Perry says, nodding towards where the guilty party was being handcuffed. 

Hamilton gives a weak smile, worry still filling his eyes. "Look, I'll talk to the press and answer questions. You go out the back way and get back to Paul." 

Perry clasps Hamilton's hand. "Thank you, Hamilton." 

"Just keep me updated, will you?" 

"Of course." 

After that, all Perry can think about is leaving and getting back to Paul's side. Even avoiding the press waiting on the front steps, it still takes Perry a long time--too long, he thinks--to exit the building and start driving.  He takes several deep breaths, trying to calm himself down. The numb feeling was still there, still blocking him from fully processing what was happening. He wasn't really sure he wants to process it yet. Not until after Paul is better. Because he has to get better. 

His mind drifts, remembering a moment that happened with Paul only a few months ago, even if at the moment it felt years ago. 

* * *

It was a rare occasion that Paul stayed the night at Perry's. Not because either of them disliked it, quite the opposite. But given their lines of work, they both needed to be available to answer the phone when someone needed to get in contact, even in the middle of the night. For that reason, while they might spend most evenings together, they rarely had the chance to spend the night together. 

This time, they had both decided to use some of their saved-up, never-touched, vacation days. Their plans were to go up to a cabin, maybe do some fishing, even though Paul didn't care much for the activity. Thankfully, everyone was used to the two of them going on trips like this, so no one would bat an eye at their going off together. Before they got to that, however, they had the opportunity to spend a night together in bed. 

They had been laying in bed, curled up together, for several minutes before Perry broke the comfortable silence. 

"Paul?" The man hummed a reply. "Do you ever regret being with me?" 

Paul pulled back enough to look at Perry. He didn't bother hiding his shock as he gazed at the other man. It wasn't like Perry to voice insecurities like that. 

"Never, not once," Paul answered firmly. 

"Not even when we have to hide our relationship, knowing we'll likely never be able to be together publicly?" Perry asked, not making eye contact with Paul. 

Paul sighed and reached down to grab Perry's hand. "Perry, look at me." He waited for the lawyer to finally lift his eyes. "You're who I want to be with, no one else. I would happily scream it from the rooftops, but I know how that might damage your career. I would rather be with you in secret than with anyone else in public." 

Perry smiled softly at him. "I love you too, Paul." 

Paul returned the smile before drawing Perry into a gentle kiss, which quickly became more heated. 

* * *

Perry walks back into the hospital room to see Della sitting by Paul's side. She immediately stands and rushes to hug him.  "I heard about the case. Congratulations, counselor," she says, trying to smile like normal. 

Perry nods in acknowledgement before turning his attention back to Paul's still body. "How is he?" 

"The doctor said he's doing much better, he's going to be fine. We just have to wait for him to wake up now. But Perry," Della says and grabs his hand, pulling his attention back to her. "He's going to be fine!" 

Perry breaths out and feels some of the tension leave his body. 

If this was a movie, Paul would wake up at that exact moment. But this isn't a movie, it's so incredibly, terrifyingly real. 

The next few hours are spent sitting by Paul's side, waiting for any change. Andy and Tragg both stop by to update them on what's happening and to check on how Paul is doing. Della speaks to Hamilton on the phone to keep him updated as well, but he is too busy with paperwork to stop by. 

It's late in the evening when Paul starts to stir. Immediately, Paul and Della are standing by his side. 

"Paul?" Della says hopefully. 

Paul slowly opens his eyes and looks over at her blearily. "Hi, beautiful," he says, his voice coming out as a croak. He turns his attention to Perry as Perry grasps his hand. Della sees Paul's expression soften. "Hi, handsome." 

"Paul," is all Perry can whisper. 

"I'm going to go get you some water," Della says delicately, giving Perry a look to say that she's really giving them some privacy.  He glances at her in thanks before turning his full attention back to Paul. 

Della slips out of the room and goes to retrieve water for all three of them. She returns to the room but stays outside, giving the couple more time on their own. When she notices the doctor heading their way, she knocks quietly at the door and then waits several moments before opening the door and entering. 

"The doctor is heading over to check on you," she tells them, setting the waters on the side table. 

Perry is sitting and clutching Paul's hand and she notices their eyes are both red from crying. Perry reluctantly lets go of Paul's hand and straightens up, wiping at his eyes. 

"Welcome back to the land of the living," the doctor greets as he enters the room. 

"Does it have to hurt this much, doc?" Paul grumbles good- naturedly. 

"Better to be in pain than dead," the doctor says bluntly. 

"Can't argue with that!" 

After checking him over, the doctor informs them that they will be keeping Paul overnight for observation, but he should be released the following day. 

After he leaves, Paul glances between his two friends. "Well, there's no point in you two sticking around. I'm not going anywhere." 

"Paul, I'm not leaving you," Perry says quietly. 

Paul pats Perry's hand. "Perry, you're no good to me sleep deprived, and hospital chairs are not comfortable for sleeping. I'm gonna need rest as well, and I don't want you both watching me drool," he says jokingly. 

"Perry, it's been a long day. He's not going anywhere now," Della says carefully. She'd like nothing more than to stay with Paul, but she can feel herself getting tired as she comes down from the stress of the day. 

Perry looks conflicted, clearly not wanting to leave. But he finally sighs and his shoulders sag in defeat. 

"Alright. Della, I'll drive you home. But I'm coming back first thing, Paul." 

"I wouldn't expect anything less," Paul says fondly. 

"Get some rest, Paul. And don't bother the nurses too much," Della teases. 

"I make no promises," Paul says with a wink. 

Perry hesitates, then leans down and kisses Paul briefly. He pulls back with a sigh and Della can't help but smile at the love in her best friends' eyes. 

* * *

Della isn't surprised the next morning to see Perry already in the hospital room. When she walks in, she sees three nurses fawning over Paul while pretending to do their jobs. Paul is laughing and flirting with them, but he keeps glancing at Perry in between. Perry, in turn, is smiling indulgently at the antics happening around him. 

"Hi, beautiful!" Paul greets warmly when he sees Della enter. 

"You're looking much better this morning," Della says happily. "And you seem to be being treated, uh, very well," she teases, looking at the nurses. 

"Apparently, all it takes to get attention is to be stuck in a hospital. I should get injured more often!" he jokes. 

"Don't even joke about that," Della says firmly, glancing over and seeing Perry frown. 

"Yeah, yeah, I know." 

Della clears her throat and gets the attention of the nurses. "Would you mind giving us the room? That is, if there is nothing else important that you need to do here." 

The women all look disappointed, but nod in understanding before leaving, shutting the door behind them. 

Paul breathes a sigh of relief and relaxes further into the bed. "Thanks for that, I was getting exhausted by all their attention." 

"Well, you played it off beautifully," Della tells him as she sits down opposite Perry. 

"Andy showed up already to check in and give an update," Perry tells her. 

Paul reaches out and twines his fingers with Perry's. "Apparently I've been very popular while I've been here. Who knew so many people cared?" 

At that moment, a knock sounded before the door was opened to reveal Hamilton Burger. 

"Burger! I wasn't expecting you to come visit me," Paul greets in surprise, trying to be subtle as he releases Perry's hand. 

But Hamilton had clearly already noticed their joined hands. He nods toward their hands, now resting side by side on the bed. "Don't let me interrupt anything, I just wanted to come by and check on how you were doing. I know we don't always see eye to eye, but I have been worried." 

Della notices Perry and Paul both tense at Hamilton's reference to their hands, so Della jumps in to distract from it. "What about the man who did this? What's going to happen to him?" 

"The DA's office has plenty of evidence against him now, thanks to all of you," he nods at the group. "So even without his confession in court yesterday, we should have no problem convicting and putting him away for a long time." 

"That's a relief," Della says. 

Hamilton smiles briefly at her before turning his attention to the other men. "In any case, I just wanted to drop by. I'm happy to see you looking better, Mr. Drake. I'm sure it won't be long before we'll be arguing over a case." 

"They're supposed to be discharging me today, so I look forward to proving you wrong again soon," Paul jokes, but Della can tell he's still partly on edge. 

Hamilton actually laughs at that, but doesn't give a response. Instead, he nods at Della. "Goodbye, Miss Street." 

"Thank you for stopping by, Mr. Burger." 

"I'll walk you out, Hamilton," Perry says as he stands up. 

Hamilton eyes him for a moment before nodding. "Alright." 

The two men leave and start walking down out of the hospital. Hamilton can see Perry is busy organizing his thoughts, so he doesn't try to start any conversation. When they reach the car, Perry places a hand on Hamilton's arm to stop him from getting in. 

"Hamilton, about your comment, and what you saw," he starts carefully, but Hamilton cuts him off. 

"Perry, I got to be elected as the DA because I'm observant and I can connect the pieces of evidence. I've known about you and Paul for a long time, and it makes no difference to me." Hamilton noted the surprised look in Perry's eyes and felt a pang of sadness for the other man. "What you do in your personal time is none of my business and has no bearing on our interactions in court. You're a good lawyer, and a better man. And despite how irritating you both can be, I respect both you and Mr. Drake." 

Perry chuckles at that comment and Hamilton is pleased to see him relax slightly. "I can say the same about you, Hamilton. Perhaps you could join Paul and I on our next fishing trip." 

"I think I would quite enjoy that. Now go take care of Mr. Drake, I'm sure he needs lots of attention right now," Hamilton jokes, earning another chuckle from Perry. 

"I'll see you soon, I'm sure." 

"I'm sure." 

With that, Hamilton gets in his car and drives away. 

Della and Paul are waiting anxiously when Perry returns to the room. 

"Is everything alright?" Della asks quietly. 

"Oh yes, and I've invited Hamilton on our next fishing trip, Paul," Perry says with a reassuring smile. 

"Are you sure that's necessary?" Paul says, but his tone is light and he nods at Perry. 

It's another hour before Paul is released from the hospital. Perry offers to drive her home but she declines.  "I'm fine on my own. You just take Paul home and take care of him," she says with a wink.  Perry smiles at that. 

Perry and Paul wait for Della's taxi to arrive before getting in Perry's car and heading toward Perry's apartment. There is no need to even discuss the fact that Paul is staying with him.  A comfortable silence settles over them as Perry drives. He glances over at Paul while they are stopped at a light, his eyes roaming the other man's face as if trying to memorize it. 

Perry thinks about the twin gold bands sitting in a box at his apartment, hidden at the back of his sock drawer. He knows they'll probably never be able to legally marry, but Perry already knows they will spend the rest of their lives together. He's been thinking of proposing, giving Paul a symbol of his commitment. And after nearly losing him, Perry thinks it might just be time to do so. 

Paul notices Perry's gaze right before the light turns green and they start moving again. "Something on your mind?" 

"Oh, just thinking about how much trouble you're going to cause me this next week," Perry teases. 

"Of the two of us, which one is always getting me to do semi-illegal things? I'm pretty sure you're the one who generally gets into trouble," Paul teases right back. 

"Well then, I suppose we'll just have to get into trouble together," Perry says and reaches over to hold Paul's hand. 

"I guess we will," Paul answers with a smile. 


End file.
